Fifteen Years

Part Twenty

“You stink,”

Charlie looked away from the window and turned towards him. “What?”

“You stink,” George repeated. “Go have a shower. And get some coffee. You look awful.”

Charlie folded his arms defiantly. “I told you, I’m not leaving you alone.”

George sighed impatiently, “I’ll be fine. You can lock the door if you like -it’s not as if anything is going to happen to me in here. You know how secure St Mungo’s is.”

Charlie looked unconvinced. His eyes were rimmed with red, and looked dull and lifeless. George knew that he was exhausted –his whole face was gaunt and the colour had been washed from his cheeks.

Thoughtfully, Charlie leaned back against the wall.

“I feel bad, you shouldn’t be stuck in here -you need to go out and get some fresh air and have a rest,” George said.

“Well,” Charlie replied -a guilty look on his face as he tried to suppress a yawn, “I suppose I should. That chair isn’t very comfortable for sleeping on. Are you sure you’ll be okay if I go for a little while?”

George nodded quickly despite the nagging ache in the back of his skull.

“I won’t be too long. Promise me you won’t do anything barmy.”

George grinned, “of course.”

With a grim expression on his face, Charlie slunk towards the door. As he was about to leave, he paused and looked back. George smiled innocently. Charlie tried to give him an encouraging smile, but it was shrouded with uncertainty. “I’ll let the healers know I’m leaving.”

 After the door was closed, George heard the lock click into place.

He breathed a sigh of relief. Pulling his arm from beneath the covers, he unclenched his fingers and admired the small stone on his hand. It was time. Charlie’s footsteps faded as he strolled down the corridor. George wondered how long he would be gone for, and if one of the Healers would come to check up on him.

 If he was going to do it, it had to be done now.

Doubts clouded his thoughts as he stared at the stone. He prayed that Charlie wasn’t right. Surely it couldn’t make things any worse than they already were.

Turn it thrice in hand; the instructions penetrated his brain as he sat in numb silence. Suddenly his breath came in short, heavy gasps. His heart raced as he thought of Fred, and nerves suddenly sprang forth in his mind. It had been fifteen years. He had changed so much since they had last seen each other. He had so many questions. What would Fred think? George wondered if he would even be happy to see him.

Holding the stone up in front of him, he moved in to a sitting position. He wasn’t sure if he should stand up, or continue sitting. Was there a specific procedure? In the end, he decided that Harry must have been standing when he had used the stone. With just a slight rustle of sheets, George got to his feet. A grimace passed over his face and he swayed a little. Every part of him ached.

But mostly his heart.

 With shaking hands, he began to turn the resurrection stone between his fingers.

One.

                                Two.

                                                Three.

Closing his eyes, he focussed on Fred. George bit down on his lower lip and willed the image in his mind to be true. In the distance, he heard laughter, like a faint memory, but then-